The Comparison of Robust Partial Least Squares Regression Methods (RSIMPLS, PRM) with Robust Principal Component Regression for Predicting Tourist Arrivals to Turkey

Tourism is one of the most important component in the economic development strategy of many developing countries such as Turkey. The annual data set of Turkey (1986 - 2013), including the six factors affecting the tourist arrivals, is examined. The aim of this study is modelling the tourist arrivals to Turkey in cases of both multicollinearity and outlier existence in the data set by using a robust Principal Component Regression method: RPCR, two robust Partial Least Squares Regression methods: RSIMPLS and Partial Robust M-Regression (PRM). Hence, the best model giving the best predictions of tourist arrivals is selected and the most important factors are determined

The Comparison of Robust Partial Least Squares Regression Methods (RSIMPLS, PRM) with Robust Principal Component Regression for Predicting Tourist Arrivals to Turkey

Tourism is one of the most important component in the economic development strategy of many developing countries such as Turkey. The annual data set of Turkey (1986 - 2013), including the six factors affecting the tourist arrivals, is examined. The aim of this study is modelling the tourist arrivals to Turkey in cases of both multicollinearity and outlier existence in the data set by using a robust Principal Component Regression method: RPCR, two robust Partial Least Squares Regression methods: RSIMPLS and Partial Robust M-Regression (PRM). Hence, the best model giving the best predictions of tourist arrivals is selected and the most important factors are determined

Standard immunosuppressive treatment reduces regulatory B cells in children with autoimmune liver disease

Introduction: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disease caused by a perturbed immune system. The scarcity of short- and long-term immune monitoring of AIH hampered us to comprehend the interaction between immunosuppressive medication and immune homeostasis. Methods and patients: We recruited children with AIH at the time of diagnosis and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th, and 24th months of immunosuppression (IS). We also enrolled children with AIH being on IS for >2 years. Children with drug-induced liver injury (DILI), and those receiving tacrolimus after liver transplantation (LT), were enrolled as disease/IS control subjects. Healthy children (HC) were also recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from all participants. Healthy liver tissue from adult donors and from livers without inflammation were obtained from children with hepatoblastoma. By using flow cytometry, we performed multi-parametric immune profiling of PBMCs and intrahepatic lymphocytes. Additionally, after IS with prednisolone, tacrolimus, rapamycin, or 6-mercaptopurine, we carried out an in vitro cytokine stimulation assay. Finally, a Lifecodes SSO typing kit was used to type HLA-DRB1 and Luminex was used to analyze the results. Results: Untreated AIH patients had lower total CD8 T-cell frequencies than HC, but these cells were more naïve. While the percentage of naïve regulatory T cells (Tregs) (CD4+FOXP3lowCD45RA+) and regulatory B cells (Bregs, CD20+CD24+CD38+) was similar, AIH patients had fewer activated Tregs (CD4+FOXP3highCD45RA-) compared to HC. Mucosal-associated-invariant-T-cells (MAIT) were also lower in these patients. Following the initiation of IS, the immune profiles demonstrated fluctuations. Bregs frequency decreased substantially at 1 month and did not recover anymore. Additionally, the frequency of intrahepatic Bregs in treated AIH patients was lower, compared to control livers, DILI, and LT patients. Following in vitro IS drugs incubation, only the frequency of IL-10-producing total B-cells increased with tacrolimus and 6MP. Lastly, 70% of AIH patients possessed HLA-DR11, whereas HLA-DR03/DR07/DR13 was present in only some patients. Conclusion: HLA-DR11 was prominent in our AIH cohort. Activated Tregs and MAIT cell frequencies were lower before IS. Importantly, we discovered a previously unrecognized and long-lasting Bregs scarcity in AIH patients after IS. Tacrolimus and 6MP increased IL-10+ B-cells in vitro

Yabanmersini (vaccinium myrtillus l.) meyve özü'nün mide kanseri, ags hücre hattı üzerinde antioksidan aktivitesi ve anti-kanser etkileri

Objective: Vaccinium myrtillus L. fruits are consumed as food. This research was aimed to evaluate V. myrtillus methanol extract antioxidant and cytotoxic activities and determine its anti-cancer potential to further study against gastric cancer. Material and Method: V. myrtillus fruit (Bilberry) methanol extract was examined for its antioxidant activities by ABTS•+ and DPPH• assays. The phytochemical analysis of the extract was studied by HPLC method. The cytotoxic effect of V. myrtillus fruit methanol extract on gastric cancer cell line AGS was measured by Cell Titer-Glo assay. Additionally, as healthy control, fibroblast like human mesenchymal stem cell line was used for testing anti-cancer efficacy. Result and Discussion: V. myrtillus fruit methanol extract showed 0.1413 and 0.0439 mg/mL IC50 values as antioxidant activity by ABTS•+ and DPPH• assays, respectively. Malvidin-3-O-Glucoside was detected as an anthocyanin compound by HPLC method. Cytotoxicity analysis showed that among different concentrations (0.5-10 mg/ml), the most significantly, 2 mg/ml of Bilberry extract treatment decreased the viability of AGS gastric cancer cells while sparing healthy MSC cells. This data suggests the further analysis of Bilberry extract on several cancer cell lines as well as the determination of a potential active substance in the extract.Amaç: Vaccinium myrtillus L. meyvesi Türkiye’de gıda olarak tüketilmektedir. Bu araştırma V. myrtillus metanol ekstresinin antioksidan ve sitotoksisite aktivitelerini ve mide kanser hücresindeki potansiyel etkilerini belirlemeyi amaçlamıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: V. myrtillus meyvesi metanol ekstresinin antioksidan aktiviteleri spektrofotometrik olarak ABTS+ ve DPPH• yöntemleriyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Fitokimyasal analiz HPLC yöntemi ile araştırılmıştır. V. myrtillus metanol ekstresinin mide kanseri hücre hattı AGS üzerindeki sitotoksik etkisi, Cell Titer-Glo testi ile ölçülmüştür. Ek olarak, anti-kanser etkinlik analizi için fibroblast benzeri insan mezenkimal kök hücre hattı sağlıklı kontrol hücreleri olarak kullanılmıştır. Morfolojik değişiklikler, faz kontrast mikroskobu kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Sonuç ve Tartışma: V. myrtillus meyve metanol ekstresinde ABTS+ ve DPPH• testleri ile sırasıyla 0.1413 ve 0.0439 mg/mL IC50 değerleri hesaplanmıştır. Bir antosiyanin bileşiği olarak malvidin-3-O-glukozit HPLC yardımıyla tespit edilmiştir. Sitotoksite analizi, farklı konsantrasyonlar (0.5-10 mg/ml) arasında 2 mg/ml V. myrtillus meyve metanol ekstresinin, sağlıklı MSC hücrelerini korurken AGS mide kanseri hücrelerinin canlılığını azalttığını göstermiştir. Bu veriler, Yaban mersini özünün çeşitli kanser hücre dizileri üzerinde daha fazla analiz edilmesini ve ekstresindeki potansiyel aktif maddelerin belirlenmesini önermektedir

Coronary Vasospasm After 5-Fluorouracil Therapy: Case Report

Miyokard disfonksiyonu, perikardit, aritmiler ve akut koroner sendromlar 5-Florourasil (5-FU) tedavisinin yan etkileri olarak bildirilmiştir. 43 yaşında erkek hasta 1 saat önce başlayan göğüs ağrısı nedeniyle hastaneye başvurdu. Hastanın kardiyak öyküsü veya herhangi bir kardiyak risk faktörü yoktu. Hasta kolon karsinom tanısıyla 1 gün önce onkoloji bölümünde 5-FU tedavi almış. Anteriyor ve inferiyor derivasyonlarda ST segment yükselmesi mevcuttu. Hasta akut koroner sendrom kabul edilerek medikal tedavi başlandı ve daha sonra acil koroner anjiografi planlandı. Koroner anjiografi normaldi. İntravenöz nitrat tedavi altındayken hastanın göğüs ağrısı geçti ve EKG’deki ST yüksekliği geriledi. Kardiyak enzimler normal sınırlardaydı. Ekokardiyografide segment hareket bozukluğu yoktu. Hasta 5-FU e bağlı vazospastik angina kabul edildi ve ertesi gün taburcu edildi. Sonuç olarak 5-FU tedavi sonrası akut koroner sendrom gelişebilir. Özellikle kardiyak öyküsü olmayan hastalarda, sıklıkla vazospasmla ilişkilidir ve vazodilatör tedaviye iyi cevap vermektedir.Myocardial dysfunction, pericarditis, arrhythmias and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are reported as advers effect of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). A 43 year-old man admitted to hospital with a chest pain one hour. He had no history of cardiac disease, and also had no any cardiovasculer risk factors. The patient had history of colon carcinoma. One day ago, 5-FU was given as chemotherapy regimen at oncology department. There was ST segment elevation on anterior and inferior derivations. He was initially managed as an acute coronary syndrome and emergency coronary angiography was then performed and it was normal. While introvenous nitroglycerin, the chest pain disappeared and ECG elevation regressed. Cardiac markers were within the normal ranges. There was no any wall motion abnormality on echocardiography. He was accepted vasospastic angina according to 5-FU and discharged after one day. Consequently, after 5-FU therapy, acute coronary syndrome may become. Frequently, it is associated with vasospasm especially patients with no cardiac history, and it response to vasodilator therapy well

Proliferative actinic keratosis: An invasive squamous cell carcinoma or not?

Actinic keratoses have variants that differ clinically and pathologically. Proliferative actinic keratoses (PAK) are known to be resistant against standard therapies and to create a tendency for the development of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 50 patients with 51 PAK lesions. Fifty patients (40 male, 10 female) with a mean age of 68.5 were included in the study. Thirty-two (63%) PAK lesions were clinically selected for total excision but only 27 of them could be totally excised. Among the excised lesions, 13 were reported to be PAK, 13 were SCC, and 1 was keratoacanthoma. There was no significant difference between the PAK and SCC groups. Overall, the groups with excised and unexcised lesions were statistically similar with respect to age, sex, lesion duration, localization, size, and surface features, but induration was more common in the SCC group. The mean follow-up time was 19.7 and 17.0 months in the PAK and SCC group, respectively. In conclusion, 25% (13/51) of lesions diagnosed as PAK were invasive SCC, which is of clinical and histopathological significance. Our results suggest that the definition of PAK should be histopathologically revised and that total excisional biopsy instead of punch biopsy should be considered, especially for lesions with a proliferative appearance. </p

Adherence to systemic therapy in patients with psoriasis during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicenter study

Background: Adherence to treatment is important in chronic dermatological diseases. There are limited data regarding the adherence to treatment in patients with psoriasis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: We aimed to determine the rates of adherence to systemic treatments in patients with psoriasis and to identify the causes of non-adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional multicenter study from May 2021 to August 2021. A questionnaire including items regarding sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, disease-related characteristics, and treatment-related characteristics were filled out by the physicians. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Hospital Anxiety, and Depression Scale, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index were calculated. The rate of adherence and non-adherence to treatment and reasons for non-adherence to treatment were examined. Results: A total of 342 patients with psoriasis were included (182 male/160 female) in the study. The mean age of the patients was 45.9 ± 14.2 years. The average duration of psoriasis was 192 ± 134.7 months. While the rate of adherence to treatment was 57.6%, the rate of non-adherence to treatment was 42.4%. There were no significant differences with respect to adherence to treatment in comparison with oral and injection-therapy groups. The most frequent reasons for non-adherence to treatment were inability to go to the hospital (19.2%), concern about the COVID-19 infection (16.3%), discontinuation of the treatment by the doctor (13.7%), inability to reach the doctor (7.3%), and inability to have access to the medication (7.3%). Conclusion: Adherence to oral and injection therapies was fairly high among our patients with psoriasis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psoriasis severity and duration of medication use had a negative impact on adherence to treatment

Mucoadhesive in situ gel formulations of miconazole nitrate for the treatment of mucosal candidiasis

This study focused on developing in situ gel formulations of miconazole nitrate with poloxamer 188 and 407 for treatment of mucosal candidiasis. In situ gel formulations were prepared and gelation temperature, rheological, mechanical and mucoadhesive properties, syringeability and release profiles were evaluated. Based on their suitable gelation temperature properties, formulations containing the poloxamer (Plx) 407 and 188 in ratios of 15:15 (F1), 15:20 (F2) and 20:10 (F3) were chosen for further studies. F3 exhibited typical gel-type mechanical spectra at 37 °C whereas F1 and F2 behaved like weakly cross-linked gels. Texture profile analysis demonstrated that F3 showed the highest cohesiveness, adhesiveness, hardness and compressibility. According to the these results, F3 was chosen for in vivo studies and it was shown that it is effective for the treatment of the vaginal candidiasis. Histopathologic evaluation also supported the effectiveness of the formulation. As a result, in situ gel formulations prepared with Plx 407 and 188 mixture of miconazole nitrate proved to be a promising alternative dosage form for treatment of mucosal candidiasisColegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Patient use of complementary and alternative medicine for psoriasis vulgaris and factors believed to trigger the disease: A multicenter cross-sectional study with 1621 patients

Introduction: Due to the chronic recurrent nature of psoriasis vulgaris (PV) and lack of definitive treatment for the disease, patients often resort to alternative treatments. Physicians seem to have low awareness of this issue. Objectives: To elicit the perceptions of 1,621 PV patients on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and examine factors reported to worsen PV. Methods: The patients sociodemographic characteristics, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), disease duration, and severity were recorded, and the patients CAM use was questioned in detail. The patients were also asked about factors that worsened PV and their experiences with a gluten-free diet. Results: Of the patients, 56.51% had used CAM. The mean age, illness duration, PASI scores and DLQI of those using CAM were significantly higher. CAM use was significantly higher in those with facial, genital involvement, and arthralgia/arthritis. The patients mostly referred to CAM when PV became severe (46.4%). Of the CAM users, 45.52% used herbal topicals. The physicians of 67.03% did not inquire whether they used CAM. Of the participants, 37.73% considered that stress worsened their disease. Gluten-free diet did not affect PV symptoms in 52.22%. Conclusions: Patients CAM use is often overlooked by dermatologists. Our results showed that more than half the patients used CAM and did not share this information with their physicians. Therefore, the awareness of physicians should be increased and patients should be asked about the use of CAM and directed to the appropriate medical treatment options by physicians